Before the Harp Falls Silent
by Gateway to Infinity
Summary: Frieza's scouter is accidentally knocked over and begins to play back Heru's birth.


Note: Don't bash me about the way Frieza acts in this fic(or the one before it, for that matter, lol). It takes place BEFORE he ever went on any power trips or met the Saiyajins. It's my personal belief that he was a kind person until he discovered his power...and power often corrupts when crossed with the wrong people, hence his behavior on the show. 

Thanks for coming! =)

Just for fun: Do you recognize the background MIDI? Let me know in your review.

Before the Harp Falls Silent

Frieza's scouter lies dormant on a table in a darkened room. A single sliver of sunlight shimmers across the red screen, points of light dancing across the edges to fade at the corners.

THUMP!

Resting place disturbed, the scouter is sent to the floor. Its flight is brief, gravity being stronger than its escape velocity.  
  
**Clink! **

Click...clickclick...click...

...beep!

Red light flickers when the object lands on its activation button, and the translucent screen comes to life. At first, it shows Frieza's pale pink face and black horns, revealing immediately that he is in his first form. He peers at the screen with one eye shut while the other remains open.

"Is this thing on?" He quips, grinning. "Good...begin recording!"  
  
On the screen, the image shifts as the scouter is settled into place and begins recording...

Her snoring is the funniest sound I've ever heard. I can't help but watch her lie there, sound asleep with her arms and legs spread while the bulging dome of her stomach rises and falls as she breathes. The silver scalp plate atop her head glistens when she shifts in her dreams, gray lips opening and closing as she breathes.

Glamorous...that is how I see my Furozen...even when she's puking, eating, snoring and drooling. She doesn't think she's pretty at all...complaining about her hips being too wide and her breasts too small.

...but I like small breasts, always have had a fetish for them. Big ones get in the way of hugging, holding and making love...with her, I can lie belly to belly, chest to chest, and hold her as close in body as I do in my heart...and when I hug her, I don't have to worry about smashing her...

...well, for now I have to worry about that cute tummy of hers...

...and her hips, they're just the perfect size to hang onto when we... And when we take walks together with an arm around each other, I can put my hand there and it won't slip off...

...ah, I love her so much. More than I ever thought I could love someone. 

Yes, she does beat the crap out of me at times when she gets really angry, but I forgive her...I know that isn't her fault...her father treated her so poorly, and I should kill him for that...

...especially since he almost killed her after she told him she was pregnant. I'm so glad she got away before he could lay a hand on her...

When she came to me with the news of our child, I felt like shouting it to the world, just like this....

****

..._I'M THE FATHER OF FUROZEN'S CHILD!!!!_

Rose...she is my dream made real...

Lips stretching into a smile, I slyly crawl onto the bed and nuzzle my face into the curve of Furozen's neck to wake her. She snorts and shifts, turning onto her side without leaving her slumber.

I giggle and decide to let her sleep, pressing my body gently against her back to keep her warm. My left arm moves on its own accord, curling around narrow armored shoulders. The free arm slides downwards to rest on a fleshy hill of life. A pointed chin, mine, settles against soft skin between her neck and shoulder...  
  
Beneath the hand lying on her stomach, I feel movement.

Bonk-bonk! A fist...

Ripple... A tail...

Hehe! I can see the outline of the little tail under her skin like a tidal wave! My hand follows it across her round belly, and I start to rub it in attempt to calm the little one before he or she wakes his or her mother up...

Contentment, I sense contentment...it makes me feel very warm and comfortable inside. Oh how I love being able to let my mind probe unwarranted! Nobody has ever allowed me to free myself this way...and it's so beautiful whenever I let myself go into her or our child...

Furozen is the only one who knows I have a *slightly different* mind. But then again, so does she...and she is the only person who I have ever dared share all my secrets with. My Rose...

"Mm..." She stirs and heaves in a deep breath, yawning.

"Did I wake you?" I ask directly into her ear.

Turning over to face me, Furozen gazes sleepily into my eyes and smiles with gray lips, enchanting me with glimpses of her colorful dream. "No...my stomach did."

"I'll get you something to eat if you want. Dr. Sreet says you should stay off your feet as much as possible. You know as well as I do just how bad they swell up...And he says you're due any day now..."

She giggles at my being so overprotective and lays a delicate hand on the dome of her navel, the other coming to rest on my forehead and giving me a playful nudge. "Yes, daddy! Fruit will do."

My laughter, though quiet, still explodes from my chest. "Coming right up!"

I vault quickly off the bed and race for the cooling unit at the other end of our quarters. When I throw open the door to the cold compartment, I find myself face to face with fruits of various shapes, colors, sizes and planet origins. She sure has taste!

The coldness of the area makes my breath come out as a cool mist, and I spend a few moments puzzling over which piece of food I should take her. My eyes finally settle on the round orange things...they certainly smell good. Oh yes, now I remember! Those are the ones that must be peeled before they can be eaten.

Paying it no more mind, I snatch the orange thing and start peeling it. Ah, I love taking care of Furozen...she always takes such wonderful care of me when I am in need. Knowing her, she'll probably be taking care of me on my deathbed someday...but until then, I shall repay her by caring for her needs as they arise now.

Gray lips stretching upwards, Furozen watches me peel the last of the skin off the orange fruit.

"Hey, Sexy." I giggle in her ear, handing her the little offering.

"Hey yourself," She giggles back, fingers brushing mine as she takes it and begins peeling the sections free. Juice dribbles down her chin when she bites into a piece. Her eyes roll towards me and another smile blooms, "What? You look like you're about to lick the juice off my chin..."

Mischievous laughter rumbles in my chest as I lean into her gently, "Maybe I am..."

My tongue is about two millimeters from her juicy chin when...

...BEEP-BEEP! 

...the com system beeps, completely destroying the moment. I find myself practically nose-diving into her belly from the bad timing, a sigh passing through my lips.

Sometimes people really need to think before they call someone...

...beep-beep...

"Go answer it. I won't go anywhere." Furozen smiles coyly, kissing my nose as I sit up.

I just grin at her and prance into the communications room, armor-tipped tail swishing lightly. My finger taps the blinking button and the screen comes to life.

...it's Papa...

"Frieza, your presence is needed in the main hall. A new guest has arrived and I would like him to meet you." His blue armor glitters as his eyes take on a darker gleam, "His race might prove to be good assets to my Planet Trade business. If it goes through, I'll turn it over to you so I can retire..."

Waving my hand dismissively, I sigh boredly, "Must I attend this farce?"

"Yes." He barks.

Geez, sometimes I really hate him...

"Fine. I'll be down in ten minutes."

"I want you here in two. Hear me? And stay in your first form until it's over. It's longer than the training time limit, but I don't want our guest to know what we can do just yet."

Growling, my reply comes in false calmness, "Yes, Papa." I kill the link as soon as I speak, to avoid him saying more. Then I grudgingly trudge back out to face Furozen. "My love...I have to go. Father insists I meet someone who just arrived."

She frowns a little and lowers her head a bit with a sigh...I hate seeing her so disappointed...

"When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. Soon, I hope. If I can shake this person's hand and leave again fast, I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Otherwise, it'll be another boring business meeting..." I mock a yawn and rub her tummy a little, kissing her as I do so. "I'll be back."

The smile returns to her face, a coy tease, "I'll be waiting, Frieza."

I smile and kiss her once more before dashing out of the room. My feet carry me at top speed to the main hall, where I skid to a halt near my Papa's throne.

It is easy for me to pick out Papa's large form in the room, but there is another with him...and in my opinion, it looks to be little more than a teenager.

A flame of black hair rises from his head, matching the coal-black eyes and thick eyebrows on his tanned skin... he has _hair_ on his _face._ Stubble...or prickles...in a circle around his mouth...hideous... A brown fur-covered tail lashes carelessly behind him, disturbing the long dark blue cloak attached to the back of his white armor.

My Papa's red eyes finally register my presence, a look of annoyance coming to his age-lined pale visage. "Ah, here he is now...Frieza, I'd like you to meet the new King of the Saiyajin Empire. Vegeta."

Vegeta, as he is called, turns my direction and gives a brief, but not entirely sincere bow. I return it with equal hidden sarcasm and mutter, "An honor to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." He replies, glancing towards Papa. "I've heard a lot about you, Prince Frieza."

"...and?" I reply boredly, no longer bothering to hide it. The urge to let myself transform is growing stronger with every minute that passes, and I don't want this off-worlder to know my race has that capability any more than Papa does.

Sheesh, I hate having to control my power...it's difficult as it is to concentrate on keeping my mind from uncontrollably reading others' in public, and now this!

Just thinking about that makes me lose concentration for just a moment, and I find myself in Vegeta's mind. I sense a lot of arrogance, pride and power...wait! What's this?

__

...images of a full moon? What does this mean...?

...AAAHHH! _What the HELL is that huge _APE?! How is it growing out of nowhere!? 

__

Wait...wait...!!! That TAIL!!! It looks JUST LIKE HIS!

"Frieza? Ice-sei to Frieza..." Papa's voice cuts into my thoughts, and I snap myself back into my own head. He blinks at me strangely when I turn to face him, "Are you feeling all right?"

This is the perfect means to get away!

Rubbing the back of my hand across my bony forehead ridges, I reply, "No, actually...I think something I ate last night isn't agreeing with me. May I go now?"

Vegeta peers at me coolly, "You do look a little pale there." He turns towards Papa and shrugs, "But I guess that's normal for your kind."

More images invade my mind. Images of violence like I've never seen...

__

...bodies torn asunder...

...huge ape-like monsters like the one I saw before ripping people apart...

...villages, primitive and without technology, being stomped to ruins...

My throat fills with bile and I clamp a hand over my mouth. If I don't get out of here now, I'm going to vomit all over the floor.

Papa sneers at me, "Goodness, Frieza! Leave before you stain the floor!"  
  
I don't even wait for him to dismiss me formally. Run like a madman, that's all I can think to do right now. My feet carry me down the corridor, and I skid to a halt just around the corner as the bile rising in my throat slowly slides back into my stomach where it belongs. The bitter taste remains, however, escaping in the form of a rather impolite-sounding belch.

No longer caring if I'm seen, felt or heard, I stop concentrating on controlling my power. Letting go of my concentration, I allow all my power to rush to the surface at once and evaporate in a single blinding flash of light. Papa says I should power up slowly, but I prefer the fast method. It does less damage to the surrounding area and gets the job done much faster, especially with transforming. I hate wasting energy going through forms two and three when I can instantly go to four without a lot of hassle.

The only drawback is it tends to make me pass out.

My vision goes white, blurs, then goes dark. It seems like only seconds before I open my eyes to find myself on the floor, but there is no way of knowing how much time has passed.

Hand raising slowly, I find my scouter still intact and check the time. Relief erupts in a flood...I was only out for about ten minutes, but I've been away from my wife for almost an hour. Before moving, I briefly feel the skin of my face and head to see if I transformed completely. Smoothness all around my scalp, no horns...yes, everything is in order.

I feel as if I've been hit with a battleship, but I drag myself to my feet anyway and dust off. Then I think of Furozen...

My delight appears in the form of a bright smile as I prance down the corridor, slide through the door to our quarters and...

The excitement quickly melts when my eyes fall upon Furozen, who is sitting up in bed with both hands on the swell of her navel. Sweat has layered her pale skin and pain is written across her face. The sheets, blankets and mattress are soaked with the fluid pouring from between her legs.

I can feel my heart jumping into my throat, "Furozen!?"

Her eyes open and her head turns my way. "I...I didn't want to interrupt your meeting..." She pants slowly, "My contractions started an hour ago...they're about ten minutes apart..."

Seriousness mixes with the excitement of what is about to happen. The seriousness, however, takes over quickly when I race to the bed and place an arm around her shoulders. "Here, let's get you to the medical bay so Dr. Sreet can take a look at you."

She nods slowly and hisses in pain when I help her to her feet. I can't stand the notion of her being in so much agony...but she handles it with great dignity.

"Bad timing, eh?" Her voice cheers me up and brings the excitement back to the forefront of my mind.

"It couldn't have been better," Lips, mine, stretch into a grin, my hand finding its usual resting spot on her hip.

Gray lips curve upwards, "Really?" She grins at me, but the grin is soured as she doubles over, "Ooohhh...here comes another one..."

"Is the pain great, my love?" I ask sorrowfully, watching her tremble as the innermost source of her femaleness works to perform its duty of life. Without waiting for an answer, I let my hand slide away from her hip until it rests on her lower back, where I massage gently.

The contraction sweeps along like a slow-motion heartbeat against my palm. More fluid is pushed out, its warmth dripping onto my left foot. Furozen grimaces in pain and leans fully on me, "It's almost over...almost...ooohhh..." She hisses and straightens slowly, breathless. "I'm OK, my love...I'm OK..."

I must have been staring at her like an idiot, because she smiles and put her arm back around my waist. The movement snaps me out of my strange reverie and a sweat-drop drips off my temple, "Do you think we can make it before you have another one?"

"Yes, definitely, if we hurry."

At the rate we're going now, it could take hours to get there. Since I'd rather not have my wife giving birth in the corridor, I decide there is no choice. Sweeping Rose right off her feet, I smile coyly at her and take flight the rest of the way down the corridor. Pots and light fixtures are blasted to pieces as we pass, but I don't have time to worry about those.

The medical bay doors slide open to reveal a thin blue and white Icejin wearing a pale gray medical robe. He is old enough to be my grandpa, and it amazes me that one so old can still have a sound mind and body. Longevity must run in his family, as it does in mine.

Heh...I'll probably live longer than the usual two-hundred year life-span...

Dr. Sreet jumps immediately to his feet and rushes towards us, "Lord Frieza! Lady Furozen! Is everything all right?" He eyes Furozen for a moment before his blue lips stretch into a smile, "Ah, I see...nevermind. I'll get the delivery table ready right away. I want to see how much you have dilated."

My lovely wife offers only a nod, gasping a little. She's having another contraction; I can tell because her arms are tightening around my neck and choking me...

"Come along now." Says Sreet in his cheerful voice.

"Sure thing!" I cough. Furozen's arms finally release their death-grip when I place her carefully on the spongy table. She lays down immediately and opens her legs so the doctor can examine her, though the idea of someone else putting their hands *there* makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. It has to be worse for her...

"Hmm, it'll be awhile before active labor will take over. Right now, you should just relax and try not to push with the contractions. You remember the breathing exercises, right?"

Tiredly, she nods, the overhead lights making shimmers slide across her silver scalp-plate. Her head turns towards me, gray lips parting, "Frieza...the baby and I will be OK for a few minutes. Go get our supplies..."

"Right." I smile, placing a kiss on the top of her head, "I'll be right back."

Zip!

Speed is all I care about right now as I crash down the corridor to our quarters. A small box of supplies is sitting right next to the door where it can be grabbed in a dash.

Zip!

I blur back into view with the box under one arm, and my attention immediately goes to my wife. There is a fetal monitor cup attached to her stomach, the screen next to the bed showing wavy lines that rise and fall with her contractions. 

She isn't moving at all...save for the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathes. Her eyes are closed and she looks pretty calm for the moment.

Without disturbing her just yet, I lower the box onto the tray beside the delivery table. Then I smile down at her, lower my face to hers and gently kiss her pale nose, "Hey, I'm back."

Her soft lips curve into a smile, silver eyes opening to peer into mine. They reflect my feelings towards her, even more so in her voice, "I can't believe it's happening...this...it feels so right...maybe not the pain, but the baby..."

Tilting my head, I allow my eyelids to lower halfway, "Just like it did when I first saw your face. I just _had_ to kiss you...even if it did get me smacked."

She laughs softly, though the laughter is laced with slight pain. "That was certainly odd..." Her face contorts, pale hands moving to clutch the distended bulge where our child is. She moves slowly into a sitting position with a soft groan. The monitor machine next to the bed shows a line sloping upwards and gives a soft beep.

"Contraction again..."

A slow nod, "It's a big one..."  
  
Nodding as well, I climb onto the bed and fit myself between her and the wall. This way, she can lean back against me to rest and I can hold her close as she works to give our child life.

"That's it, just breathe..." My hands come to rest on her shoulders, gently moving in small circles to massage them while she suffers through the wave of pain. I let my cheek rest on the side of her head and mimic her breathing patterns to keep her in rhythm.

Inhale through nose....  
Inhale through nose....

...exhale through mouth.  
...exhale through mouth.

Inhale...  
Inhale...

...exhale.  
...exhale.  
  
Relax...  
Relax...

Furozen sags against me with her eyes closed. The contraction isn't over, but she's tired...so tired... I can sense her heart throbbing, working hard to pump blood into the hard-working muscles of her body, and I help it by massaging her sides and back gently. Hopefully that will also ease some of the pain too.

"Unh..._kuso..._" She moans, forehead creasing and becoming festooned with veins. A few sobs heave her shoulders as she rocks slightly where she sits against me, as if my very touch was making it worse. "It _hurts!_"

__

Oh, my love...I wish I could take some of your pain for you...

"Do you want pain medicine?"  
  
"Yes! Dammit, get me SOMETHING!!!"

I'm about to get up when Dr. Sreet dashes in. He probably heard her shrill cry just as clearly as I did. "Is everything OK in here?"

"No." I growl, in a slight panic from not expecting her to be in so much pain, "My wife is in pain. Get something for it!"

Furozen cuts off his reply, "AAAHH!!"

The doctor, who is smart by following orders, quickly disappears and reappears with a syringe in hand. He disinfects a small area on Furozen's wrist and inserts the needle. I watch his white thumb push the plunger down to empty the yellow liquid into my beloved's vein.

"There, the pain should lessen in about sixty seconds." He tells her calmly, patting her hand.

Trembling in my arms, the laboring figure waits in silent agony before she relaxes and sags against me. Her sweaty skin is slick against mine, so I reach into the box I brought, extract a dry rag and use it to gently wipe the sweat from as much of her skin as I can reach.

"Mmm...ahhh..." She coos at my touch and tilts her head back so I can dry her chin. I smile and let my forehead rest against hers, pressing against it gently while my arms wrap around her upper body.

"I love you, my Rose, " I kiss her brow as I tell her this, and I can feel the happy swirl dance through her mind.

Another wave makes her brow crease as she replies softly, "I love you too, my betrothed..."

Nuzzling my cheek against her temple, I rock her back and forth during the contraction. I don't know why, but it seems to help her forget the pain. Or perhaps it helps work the baby lower into her pelvis. Whichever it is, I'm glad it works.

"You're doing wonderfully...almost over..." I murmur gently to comfort her.

The contraction ends and the machine drops back down to no uterine activity. I watch it while Dr. Sreet comes in and performs another quick pelvic exam. He smiles as he does so.

"Lady Furozen is fully dilated now." He says to us both, then looks at Furozen as he opens a compartment in the table, gently nudges her tail inside to get it out of the way, then places her feet in the stirrups at the end of the table. "When you have your next contraction, I want you to push. Rest for now...the hardest part is coming up."

"O-OK." She heaves in a deep breath and tilts her head just enough to look at me with tired eyes full of love, "Are you ready, daddy?"

I grin down at her excitedly with heavily-lidded eyes, "Yes. Are _you_ ready, mom?"

Nodding, she lowers her head and runs a hand across her slightly lopsided navel, "Are you ready in there, baby? It's almost time for you to come out and live..."

"Get ready..." Dr. Sreet says to my wife, though I feel as if he's speaking to both of us.

Furozen grasps the undersides of her thighs in preparation, and I can sense her heartrate increasing, anticipating, slight fear behind its wild throbbing.

This is it...

Sreet's voice cuts in from far off. "OK, push!"

Her entire body tenses in my arms. I let her hang onto my hands and lean forward to gently push her into a more natural birthing position.

She bears down, squeezing my hands to the breaking point in the process, "Unnnnnnngh!"

My knuckles crack from the pressure of her hands and that quickly leads me to understand only a fraction of the pain she must be feeling. I have no right to yell when I do, but this hurts! "OWWW!!"

"Ow is right!" She grunts. "AAAH! UNNNNNGH!"

"No, no! Don't make any sound. Save your air." The doctor instructs, and she promptly goes quiet, her face flushing purple. "OK, rest for a moment..."

The pale body in my arms sags against my chest, deathgrip on my poor hands finally releasing. She is panting through an open mouth as sweat sparkles on her pale skin, and I use the rag to wipe it away from her eyes so they won't sting.

"Breathe, my love. Gently." I whisper, performing the short gasps and sighs she's supposed to be doing. Picking it up, she follows my rhythm until we're performing it in unison.

In the back of my mind, I can sense just a hint of our child's mind. It doesn't understand anything, yet it is frightened of all the movement pushing it around. I think I can understand why...I'd certainly be frightened if the soft, warm place I was in suddenly started rocking with earthquakes and squeezing me into a narrow tunnel that was barely big enough for my body to fit through!

Again, Dr. Sreet instructs her to push, and again, she grimaces in concentration.

Breathe.

Push!

Relax.

Repeat...

After several minutes of pushing, breathing, relaxing and repeating, Sreet leans back a little, tail swishing lightly behind him, "Do you want an epidural? I have to inject it now if you do."

Furozen nods with her eyes closed, concentrating on her breathing. Sreet nods back and reaches for the tray next to him where he retrieves a syringe with a long needle.

"'Scuse me for a moment." He says, moving between Rose and I just long enough to push the long needle into her spine and inject the pale blue liquid. She tenses when the needle pierces her, then relaxes when he removes it. "You're going to feel pressure, but not pain. Other sensations will remain intact."

"OK..." She pants. The machine next to the bed is reading another contraction coming on. It's going up fast, and that means this is probably the Clench Contraction, or the continuous contraction that will last until the baby is out...

...thank Heavens her pain is blocked...

"Your Clench is coming on right now, Lady Furozen. I want a big push when it hits."

Furozen nods slowly, silver carapace glittering gently on her scalp with the movement. In this moment of anticipation I allow our minds to link together tightly. Everything she feels, I will feel. Everything I feel, she will feel.

Right now, I feel like something in my pelvis is being clenched in a vise...it doesn't become pain, but I want to bear down...

"You can do it!" I encourage her hopefully and watch as her face becomes a mask of concentration. While the contraction begins, I start to massage her shoulders again and keep her breathing in rhythm by gently performing the learned patterns in her ear. "Furozen...my amazing love..." I say between breaths.

Tears form in the corners of her eyes as she gathers herself. My arms tense when her hands squeeze mine, no longer minding the pain of my knuckles being smashed together.

"Push!" Dr. Sreet instructs.

I lean forward to help Furozen as she bears down until her entire body is shaking in my arms. The force moves through her body like a wave rippling down the edges of her spine. Her feet, to my amusement, have the stirrups in a grip so tight that I think the metal is starting to bend...

Sreet's blue lips curve upwards into a smile at her progress, "Good, good! Breathe and keep pushing!"

She gasps and lifts her bottom off the table a little, probably from the feeling of pressure on her inner walls. I hold her gently, reassuring her with my mind and touch that everything is fine, "Easy, easy...shhh...it's all right..."

"Breathe..." The doctor says gently, though I don't know if he's talking to Furozen or me.

My beloved takes a breath and I take one with her.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Just breathe...

"Here comes the hardest one," Dr. Sreet speaks excitedly, though with seriousness. His dark blue eyes rise to meet my wife's, then mine, "Ready?"

"Yes." She pants.

"Yes." I echo.

"All righty then...Lady Furozen, push as hard as you can for as long as you can. Stay with the contraction."

Taking a deep breath, she nods and squeezes her eyes shut. Dr. Sreet moves his hands into a ready position between her legs. I gulp with a dry mouth and watch intently, knowing my entire life is about to change in less than five minutes. My beloved's mind is broadcasting the same emotion, along with hope and love...

Furozen grunts with the effort and squeezes down on my hands with such force that I fear she'll twist them off. Her entire body tenses as the need to give life to a new person fills her. I feel it with her, eyes growing heavily-lidded with all the love I have for her and our baby.

"It's crowning, and the sac looks drained." Sreet informs us, "Keep pushing! Excellent...excellent..."

I just stare in amazement while Furozen grunts and bears down with all the strength in her small white body. My heart is throbbing so fast I fear it will burst, and I can feel hers doing the same. She emits a small groan, gasps and continues pushing down...

Dr. Sreets hands move forward...

...I crane my neck to look over Furozen's shoulder...

...something emerges, coated in blood and water, looking like a hastily-drawn cartoon...

...the doctor's hands guide it out with a wet sloshing sound...

...a glint of grayish-purple shows through the blood and transparent birth sac...

...Furozen gasps...

...distant voice calls...

"The head is out!"

"Oh!" She cries out, though not in pain.

Massaging her shoulders again, I kiss her temple and nuzzle my cheek against hers, "You're doing it! It's almost over, my love..."

Furozen grits her teeth noisily, squeezes her eyes shut and bears down again. My eyes move back to Dr. Sreet's hands as they continue to cup the little half-born thing like an egg about to break. He keeps a hand on the shiny object while using some scissors to cut a small slit into the translucent birth sac surrounding the baby. This makes my stomach turn over, but I can't look away...

...my wife grunts again and leans forward as tears flow down her face...

...and time stops...

...Dr. Sreet hands suddenly lower as if catching a weight...

...my heart pounds...

...something skeletal, bloody, deathly gray, wet and no more than a foot long is placed on Furozen's stomach, seeming lifeless as the shiny membrane is peeled away...

...I stare...

...the doctor's careful hand rubs across the lifeless creature's back...

...blink...

...miniature limbs wriggle and tremble like an awakening dreamer, tiny fists with wrinkled fingers open and close, small prune-like toes curl and uncurl, a tiny tail flexes for the first time, creases form on a flawless bloodstained forehead...

...gasp...

...deathly gray flesh turns white, tiny purple lips turn bright pink, gaping to reveal a toothless mouth as this creature takes its first breath, gurgles and emits the most beautiful sound I'll ever hear...

"..waa*gurgle*aahhhh! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

My eyes fill with tears and my lower lip starts to quiver as I watch my newborn child come to life. Furozen's eyes turn to the living creature on her stomach and her hands move to hold it close. Sreet grins brightly in delight as he grabs a towel to wrap around the skeletal newborn's screaming form. 

"It's a boy!" He announces.

...A boy...a son...my son...our son...

...I'm a _father_...

"Say hello..." Furozen whispers to me in a sob, arms wrapping around the new life she just brought into the universe. The baby boy wriggles at her touch, turns towards her voice and stops crying almost immediately. Though his eyes are sealed shut, he can still hear, smell, feel and taste clearly.

I feel myself beginning to cry with joy as I take my hand, place it on my son's still-bloody head and whisper, "Hello...Heru..." The baby's carapace is still soft, like the skin beneath a fingernail, but my touch won't harm it.

Neither of us seem to notice when the afterbirth is delivered and discarded, nor do we mind when Dr. Sreet applies some suction to clean the little one's airway.

My chin comes to rest on Rose's shoulder and I sob against her neck. I just can't believe it...that person in her arms came from a piece of both of us. "Oh Rose...he's so beautiful...just like you."

She smiles with tears dotting her eyes and kisses my chin, then turns her eyes back to the child, watching him in awe, "He looks just like you..."

...she's right...he does...

By now, Heru has fallen asleep with his impossibly tiny hands resting on his own cheeks and his little lips stretched into a slight grimace. I don't blame him...I'd certainly be tired after a wild trip like that...

"Excuse me..." Dr. Sreet cuts in gently, "I need to examine him to make sure everything is all right. I'll bring him back shortly."

Furozen nods and hands the precious bundle over to the doctor. Heru wriggles as he is passed, but doesn't wake up. I watch as my son is carried away to be cared for and cleaned up, then turn my attention back to my beloved.

"Rose..." I pass my hand gently across her cheek and lower my face to kiss her salty-tasting brow, "...you are an amazing woman..."

She giggles and takes my hand, stroking my fingers as she tells me, "I wouldn't be that way without you, Frieza..."

__

Well I just heard the news today  
Seems my life is gonna change  
I close my eyes, begin to pray  
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open  
Under the sunlight  
Welcome to this place  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
With arms wide open  
  
Well I don't know if I'm ready  
To be the man I have to be  
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side  
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open  
Under the sunlight  
Welcome to this place  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
Now everything has changed  
I'll show you love  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
Wide open

Furozen and I are back in our quarters now. My wife has long since fallen asleep, but I carried her here so she could rest in our familiar bed. I'm waiting for Heru to be returned to us, just staring out the window as the third moon rises over the horizon.

Dr. Sreet arrives with a blanket-swathed Heru, sooner than expected, but certainly not unwelcome.

"Ten fingers and six toes. He's a healthy twelve inches long and weighs in at three pounds, one ounce." The doctor tells me happily, placing the child into my arms.

"Thank you," I tell him graciously as I cup the baby's head with one hand and hold the rest of his body with my other arm. Sreet checks on my wife briefly before leaving us alone.

Now in relative solitude, I gently pull the silver blanket away from Heru's face. His lips have just been dyed black, so their color is an uneven mix of black and pink, though it'll even out in about an hour. 

Other than the grayish-purple mix of his soft armor plates, my son looks just like me! Well...I think he has Furozen's cute little nose and delicate feet...but still, he amazes me. So small, helpless and precious...

Lowering my face, I kiss his brow and watch his miniature fingers fan out briefly before curling back into fists. I lower one of my fingers to touch his hand, his fingers open to accept my touch and re-curl around my fingertip. They're so small that they don't curl completely around...little silver nails so tiny...

Unable to resist, I unwrap the newborn and look his entire body over, even though Sreet said everything is all right.

Six little toes curl in protest to the cold... 

Creased from being curled up for six months, a tail with a circumference no larger than my wrist wraps around my arm... 

Filled with life, a tiny chest rises and falls around a throbbing heart... 

A gaunt body uncurls and twists in attempt to move closer to the only source of warmth...

...face flushes...

"...aaaahhhh! Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Small cries erupt from a toothless mouth.

"Shhh..." I tell my son as I wrap him back in the safety of the blanket, "You're safe with me, little Heru...I won't let anything harm you...." My lips form a smile when his eyes slowly peel themselves open and peer at me sleepily.

...they're red, just like mine...

As of I'd get an answer, I ask, "Would you like to hear something wonderful?"

Heru wriggles in my arms a little, whining quietly as I carry him to my harp. I cradle him in one arm, watching him while I pluck a simple tune that reverberates around us. Heru startles at the new sound and stops whining. I can't help but giggle at how cute he looks...Furozen makes that same face at me whenever I wake her up...

"I always knew he would stop and listen to you play."

I look up to see Furozen sitting up in bed and smiling over at us. With a grin, I pad over and settle beside her so she can take the baby. She does, gently unwrapping his body and putting him to breast so he can eat. His tiny tail uncurls from my arm and re-curls around hers, his little fingers and toes fanning out against her bare skin as his little lips wrap around the only source of food he can stomach at this time.

"I looked him over...and he's perfect..." I giggle, "He has your nose...and your feet..."

"...as well as your beautiful face and hands." She interjects, gazing at me with heavily-lidded eyes. I can't help but blush as I watch her hold our son, feeding him fluid from her own body to sustain his life. It completely amazes me...

Unbidden, the memories of what I saw in that Saiyajin's head comes back to haunt me... What if he's still on the planet now? What would happen if he transformed under _three_ full moons? These ideas worry me too much, especially since I now have a helpless newborn to protect along with my wife. I have to find out of that Saiyajin is gone...

"My love, I'll return in a moment."

She gives me an odd look while Heru slurps away, "Is everything all right?" Her mind probes mine, just a surface scan, "You don't like that guest very much, do you?"

My reply, "No, I don't. I'm going to see if he left or not."  
  
"Very well." Her placid smile returns, silver armor glittering when she lowers her head to gaze lovingly at the little person in her arms. I spend another moment watching her before heading to the communications array.

"Open a channel to Papa." I tell the computer, and a few moments pass before Papa's face appears on the screen, looking annoyed. Goodie, I get to pay him back for interrupting me this morning...at least partially anyway...

"Frieza? What could you possibly want _right now?_" He demands with narrowed eyes, lips curled into an indignant sneer. The reason for his annoyance makes itself clear when a pale yellow hand with artificially long orange nails appears in the viewscreen to teasingly tug on his arm. Typical...him and his little sex toy servants...it disgusts me.  
  
Ignoring his tone of voice and the female in his presence, I part my lips to form the words, "Papa, has that Saiyajin left yet?"

Papa sighs and rolls his eyes, "Yes, he left over an hour ago! Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"As a matter of fact, I do..." I suddenly feel the urge to burst out laughing, because this news will get rid of the female in a matter of seconds, "You're a grandfather now! Heh, heh...Furozen gave birth just one hour ago. It's a boy."

Just as I expected, the female hand disappears from view at top speed, and Papa snarls at me. "**Why you little-** "

"Enjoy your evening!" I kill the link and double over with laughter. My revenge for being interrupted is complete...the look on his face was priceless! 

Giggles still shake my shoulders when I leave the array and head back to where Furozen is lying on her back with Heru still nursing...it's really amazing how even a newborn less than two hours old can still nurse while in any position...

"I see you got him good." Furozen grins slyly, the rise and fall of her chest gently soothing the restless newborn lying there, "Just how 'bad' was your timing?"

Smirking at my own deviousness, I reply while holding my arms out to hold Heru, "Worse than his was this morning, let's just put it that way." 

Tail waving coyly, she gently passes Heru to me while smirking, "Serves him right. Is it just me, or is your father often a jerk?"  
  
I hold Heru gently, rubbing the soft skin on his gaunt back to help him burp. His miniature hands fan out against my neck and shoulder, little chin resting right on the armor plate. "He's always been a bit of a jerk, my love. The only fatherly thing he did for me was give up the sex cells and teach me to fight. That's it."

Furozen snorts in laughter and lies back to rest, wiping up the droplets of breast milk that leak out when she moves. Her tummy still has a cute bulge in it from being pregnant...I know she'll complain about it when she notices it, but for now, I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Heru burps softly and wriggles a little in my arms when I walk towards the cradle where he'll sleep. As soon as I put him down, I miss him...as if no place is safe for him except for my arms or the arms of his mother. I shake my head at my own over-protectiveness, take my scouter off and push the cradle over by my harp.

Red eyes, mine, stay on my son while I put my scouter down on the floor and seat myself with the backboard of the harp against my left shoulder. Heru's tiny ruby orbs, identical to mine, glitter sleepily, forever capturing my heart just as powerfully as Furozen had...

Silver light from the moons causes shadows to spill across my arms and his small white face. I continue to smile, pale fingers reaching through the moonlight to gently strum the silken strings of the magnificent alien instrument before me. Its gentle notes place me in a peaceful state of mind that nudges Heru gently to stillness, and the ghostly hands of my shadow pass over his face every time I reach out to pluck the silver strings.

Heru yawns as he peacefully falls asleep beside me, the music a stream for his sailboat of dreams to sail on, my tail being the only wave to gently rock it every now and then. 

Now that he is here, this tiny little being, my life is finally complete. Nothing to hunger for, nothing to want, nothing to need...there is only life.

At this notion, I glance down at the discarded scouter and realize it's still on. Heru's birth is in its databank forever, but it will erase itself if left on for too long. Not wanting to lose that precious data, I stop playing, the last notes echoing slowly to silence as I reach down and turn the scouter off.

__

If I have just one wish  
Only one demand  
I hope he's not like me  
I hope he understands  
That he can take this life  
And hold it by the hand  
And he can greet the world  
With arms wide open

With arms wide open  
Under the sunlight  
Welcome to this place  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
Now everything has changed  
I'll show you love  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open

The tiny red screen blips off and glimmers in the light of the third sun as a shadow passes repeatedly over it. Soft notes trill as delicate hands pluck silvery strings attached to sturdy gold-encrusted wood.

For just a moment, the pale hands plucking the strings cease, one reaching down to pick the scouter up and place it back onto a nearby table. The talented hands return to gently pluck the lovely strings.

Suddenly, a female voice calls, "Supper's ready!"

Interrupted, the hands stop their graceful motion and slide across the strings. It creates a rising chord that fades slowly in the still room. The figure stands and quickly pads from the room while calling out, "Be right there!"

Shadows grow long as the third sun rides low in the sky. The shadow on the floor nearest the window bears a triangular shape with filmy vertical lines stretched through its center.

__

With arms wide open...


End file.
